Indicators, targets, benchmarks - sorting out the terminology November 27, 2007
Posted by Paul Duignan in : Outcomes systems architecture, Outcomes theory, Indicators, Measurement, Using the approach , 2commentsMany different terms are used in the outcomes and performance management area for measurement and indicators. Often there is considerable confusion about these terms. The short definitions I use from outcomes theory are:
- Outcomes - causes or effects in the real world. Whether or not such causes can be measured is a separate issue (see previous blog for features of outcomes)
- Steps - lower level causes which lead to higher-level outcomes. Because causal processes reside in causal hierarchies, outcomes at one level can be steps for achieving even higher-level outcomes, therefore to refer to causes and effects at any level the general term ‘outcomes and steps’ is used.
- Measurements - measure whether or not an outcome or step has occurred (or how much of it has occurred).
- Indicator - a measurement of an outcome or step.
- Target - a level on an indicator.
- Benchmark - levels on indicators already achieved by other players, or by the same player at an earlier time or in another setting.
- Priorities - an outcome or step which is thought to be the most important for a player to focus their efforts on changing.
Reporting on outcomes to multiple bodies with different outcomes structures November 14, 2007
Posted by Paul Duignan in : Accountability, Outcomes systems architecture, Using the approach, Outcomes models, Easy Outcomes, DoView , add a commentIn a workshop the other day the issue arose of how you deal with the situation where you have to report to a number of different outside organizations on your outcomes. Now, this is not much of a problem where the outside organizations don’t make any implicit or explicit demands on how you report. The way to proceed in such cases is to simply develop your outcomes model and report back to them on it.
However, with more and more organizations thinking in terms of outcomes, they are starting to have outcomes structures of various types themselves. (more…)